After the Pahalgam attacks on April 22 in India-administered Kashmir had killed 26 civilians – the militants mainly had targeted Hindu tourists, however, there was also a Christian tourist and a Muslim local.
Although India implied and strongly believed Pakistan had indirectly aided the militants, The Resistance Front in the attacks, Pakistan has strongly denied, and there is limited information to support India’s claims. In the following days, tensions at the border escalated with both countries cancelling visas, recalling diplomatic staff, suspending a historic Indus Waters Treaty and exchanging fire across the Line of Control.
After a four-day military conflict, both parties agreed to a ceasefire on May 10. However, experts within the region are unsure whether the countries will return to their status quo.
The region remains vital to both countries and serves vital for multiple different cultural identities, adding to the complexities of peace talks within the area. Currently, religious extremism plays a vital role in electoral politics within the area, such as an Islamist populist group in Pakistan called Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam (F) and the Bharatiya Janata Party in India that pertains to Hinduism and Indian nationalists; both groups have sensationalized and capitalized off of the historic divides and furthered escalation within the region.
Although the tensions between the groups are apparent, there are many faith-based leaders working on creating an interfaith-based dialogue within the region to come together to build community in the area.
Hindus for Human Rights is an advocacy group based in South Asia and North America, rooted in fundamental Hindu values: “shanti” (peace), “nyaya” (justice) and “satya” (truth). They have been a vocal advocate against the caste system, Hindu nationalisms and all forms of oppression, and are working toward “lokasangraha” — a universal common good and peace among all people.
In an interview with David Kalal, director of communications for HfHR, he stated that this organization “explicitly reclaims Hinduism from those who use it to justify violence and supremacy.”
Kalal said some of the main organizational tactics used are publicly opposing nationalist policies in India, organizing in solidarity with Muslim, Christian, Sikh and Dalit communities that have been targeted by religious violence and supporting campaigns within and outside of India.
“HfHR has consistently called for peace, self-determination and demilitarization in Kashmir.” Kalal elaborated on the organization’s role within the recent Kashmir conflict: “After the Indian government unilaterally revoked Article 370 in 2019, we were among the first U.S.-based Hindu organizations to denounce the action and highlight the human rights abuses that followed, including communications blackouts, mass detentions and clampdowns on press freedom.”
HfHR has hosted numerous webinars with Kashmiri scholars and journalists, collaborated with Muslim and Sikh partners to highlight the region’s suffering and created resource guides to deconstruct media bias.
“Interfaith dialogue is central — not for performative harmony, but for shared accountability and action. It allows us to work with other faith-based organizations to oppose state violence and uphold collective values of justice,” Kalal said.
The work that Kalal and the HfHR are doing is one of many organizations working on creating interfaith dialogue to create sustainable and transformative peace within the region. The power of interfaith dialogue is important in curbing dangerous rhetoric from political parties that use interfaith conflict to justify escalatory actions.
“Whether it’s the Indian state portraying Kashmiris as ‘terrorists’ to inflame communal tensions for their own cynical goals, or American politicians citing ‘Hinduphobia, ‘ they have been fed by right wing Hindu nationalist organizations in the U.S. and unproblematically (been) taken on as representative of the community,” Kalal said.“Our response is to expose this cooptation and insist on a different vision of religion — one rooted in truth, humility and nonviolence.”
